A Father For George W. Holmes
In the last few posts, I've written about records that hint at relationships. One was the record where George Washington Holmes moved in with James Holmes, and within the court record, James referred to George as his heir. I read that document, gasped out loud, and started to consider the real possibility that James was the father of George. But I needed more proof.
Next, the records produced after the death of James Holmes broaden the pool of people who appear to be children of James Holmes to include not only George Washington Holmes, but also Samuel, Abraham, Absalom, James Jr., Jacob L., and Sylvia.
I realize many long suffering Holmes researchers are not yet convinced. We need more than just hints and suggestions to sort out the relationships that have confused researchers of this family line for years.
There are two more events to explore in unraveling these family relationships. The first is the death of George's brother, Jacob L. Holmes. The second is the death of George's brother, Samuel Holmes.
The details of his probate include the following: he died before 29 August 1855, because on this date Abraham Holmes, also of Newton County, was appointed administrator of his estate.1 Abraham Holmes put up the administrator's bond, and George W. Holmes and Absalom Holmes help him post the money for the bond (they are listed as providing security for the bond.)2 In December 1856, George Washington Holmes made application for, and was appointed guardian of Jacob's minor children.3 In the Probate Court Term of January 1860 "Washington Holmes" is removed as guardian because he is planning to move from the state of Missouri.4 (This is the first time I've ever seen George referred to by only his middle name.) In this record to remove George Washington Holmes as guardian, the minor heirs of Jacob are listed as G W Holmes, Julian (Julia Ann) Holmes, and Caroline Holmes. (Yes, Jacob named two of his kids after his brother and sister in law.) Another son, William Holmes, is over the age of 14 in 1860 and is able to choose his guardian.
This is yet another hint that Jacob L. Holmes, Abraham Holmes, Absalom Holmes, and George W. Holmes are brothers.
Quick stats on Samuel Holmes. Based on his age on the 18505 and 18606 censuses, he would have been born around 1802 in Tennessee. He died before June 1865 in Stoddard County, Missouri.
Samuel's probate file is extensive and drags on for years. I'll try to skip to the juicy bits. The first record that I can see is dated 2 June 1865, suggesting that he died sometime before that date. The estate goes through 2 different administrators before, in February of 1866, Abraham Holmes comes forward to say that he is the oldest brother of Samuel and wants to administer his estate. (Which he does as co-administrator with James A. Cooper.)7 Boom - Abraham and Samuel are brothers - there's one relationship!
As seems to be the trend, Samuel Holmes died intestate. Samuel does not have a wife or children alive at the time of his death, so his estate would be divided equally among his siblings. The main assets at his death appear to be his land. (His slaves would have gained their freedom about a year before his death.) Part of the settlement of his estate necessitated selling his land to cover his debts. Now, only three siblings are living at the time of his death - Absalom, Abraham and George. These three, the Plaintiffs in the case, have to sue the living heirs of the deceased siblings, the Defendants, for the rights to sell the land. Herein lies genealogy gold! Not only are Samuel's siblings spelled out, but also some of their heirs. Huge thanks to Nathan who writes the blog at Salt of America for making me aware of this document! You can go read his very thorough post on the Holmes family.
Here's a transcription of the document (I am leaving out the actual land description, indicated by the ellipsis. I am also giving this record a title so that I can refer to it later.
January 9, 1872, 14th day of the term
Absalom Holmes, Abraham Holmes }
and George W Holmes Plaintifffs} Petition for Partition of Real Estate
against
The heirs of James Holmes deceased to wit Samuel Holmes & Absalom
Holmes, The unknown heirs of Benjamin Holmes deceased
The heirs of Jacob Holmes decd to wit, William Holmes
Julia Ann Holmes, George W Holmes & Caroline Holmes
and Sylvia Lee late Holmes and the unknown heirs of Milly
Wright late Holmes, - Defendants, - Now on this 9th day
of January 1872, came the parties, herein by their attorney and [thereupon?]
all and singular the matters and things being submitted to the court and
by the court, seen and heard, the Court doth find that the parties hereto
are entitled to and interested in the lands in the Petition described in the manner
following that is to say the said Plaintiffs and defendants are the legal representatives
of the said Samuel Holmes deceased and that the original parties to wit, the said
Absalom Holmes, Abraham Holmes, George W Holmes, Benjamin Holmes, Jacob
Holmes, James Holmes, Sylvia Lee (late Holmes), and Milly Wright (late Holmes), being
brothers and sisters of the said Samuel Holmes deceased and are such
entitled to the one eighth part of the following real Estate, herein after described
that the said James Holmes is dead and that the said Samuel Holmes
Junior was his son and entitled to the interest of his deceased father and
is further appearing that said interest had been legally transferred to James
A Cooper, to whom the said interest now belongs. That the said Jacob Holmes
is dead and left as his legal representatives to wit William, Julia Ann, George W
James and Caroline Holmes, are each entitled to the one fourth of an eighth of said
estate, that Sylvia Lee is now dead leaving heirs whose names and places
of Residence is unknown that they are entitled to the one eighth part
of said Real estate that Milly Wright late Holmes is now dead and left heirs
whose names and residences are unknown, but who are entitled to the one
eighth part of said real estate that the said Benjamin Holmes is dead
and left heirs whose names and places of residence is unknown but who are entitled
to the interest of their deceased parent to wit One eighth part, that said
real estate is as follows to wit...containing eight hundred and forty acres - It is
therefore considered that partition of said [p?] be made herein and it
further appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that owing to the nature and condition
of said real estate and the number and interests of said claimants that partition
[curreat?] be made in kind. It is therefore ordered and agreed by the court
that said real Estate be sold, and that partition of the proceeds thereof be
made to the parties according to their respective rights herein.
I don't have full biographical sketches of each of George's siblings but would like to share what I've learned about them along the way. Some of these were a surprise to me!
1. Benjamin Holmes
As mentioned, this was one of the surprises - this Benjamin was previously unknown to me. He may have predeceased James, because he was never mentioned in the records when James Sr. died. The only things I really know about this Benjamin were pointed out by Nathan in his blog post linked above. He was a Sworn Chain Carrier (SCC) on a 1821 deed from Absalom Denton to William Young, and was a signer of the 1819 petition to form Perry County. To be a SCC in 1821, because of the sworn part, he would have to be 21. That puts his birthdate around or before 1800. The only other facts can be inferred from the court document above, the S. Holmes 1872 Probate Document, is that Benjamin must have had children, and that he is deceased by 1872.
There is a different Benjamin Holmes, who was born around 1816. I mentioned 1816 Benjamin briefly in my very first post. He was in Perry County, TN in 1840, Searcy County, AR in 1850, Van Buren County, AR in 1860 and 1870 and Wise County, TX in 1880. So 1816 Benjamin can't be the one who is a brother of Samuel, because, for one thing, he's still alive at the time of Samuel's death. The record above, the S. Holmes 1872 Probate Document, clearly states that the Benjamin who was a brother of Samuel is deceased by 1872.
Further, there is a record where the son of 1816 Benajmin Holmes, William D (Will) Holmes, wrote a letter to his local newspaper documenting some of the details of his life.19 In his story, Will states that his father was Benjamin Holmes, and his uncle was Week Holmes (Welcome Holmes, born around 1814). This record connects 1816 Benjamin and Welcome Holmes as brothers. Because Welcome Holmes is not listed as a sibling of Samuel, then 1816 Benjamin is not the Benjamin who is a sibling of Samuel. 1816 Benjamin and 1814 Welcome are likely nephews of James Holmes Sr., and sons of William Holmes (b. 1783).
2. Samuel Holmes
He's the rich, single guy whose probate, above, gives us genealogy gold! As previously mentioned, Samuel was born around 1802. Samuel seems to be in the home of James Sr. in Perry County, Tennessee in 182020, and is head of his own household in Perry in 1830.21 Interestingly, there are 5 children in his home in 1830, 3 males under 5 and two females ages 5-9, but no wife. We can only guess if these were his children or someone else's children in his care. If they were his children, they were not alive by the time of his death in 1865.
In 1840, Samuel is living alone in neighboring Wayne County, Tennessee.22
In 1850, Samuel is 48. His household includes a 32 year old male James (actually it's written as Janes), 24 year old Elizabeth, a 2 year old male named Susanah and A. Whitson, male, age 32. (All of them were born in Tennessee.)23 In 1850, no relationships are given on the census. I actually just tried to ignore this census listing because it's so confusing. The two men with a 16 year age gap, just wide enough to be biologically possibly that they are father and son, though not likely. The male named Janes, the boy names Susannah. But when another James didn't fit as James Sr.'s son, I had to go back and reconsider this record. More on that when I talk about James, below.
3. Abraham Holmes
Abraham was born around 1806. He appeared in the records after his father, James, died,24 and administered the estates of his brothers Jacob25 and Samuel.26 He appears to be in James' household in 1820,27 head of his own household in Perry County in 1830,28 then in Searcy County, Arkansas in 1850.29 But based on a few records, he probably moved to Arkansas closer to 1840. By 1860, he is in Stoddard, Missouri.30
Abraham is one of the three living siblings at the time of Samuel's probate, one of the Plaintiffs in the S. Holmes 1872 Probate Document above.
A few things make Abraham confusing. One is that the names Abraham and its abbreviation Abram are used interchangeable, often within the same document. Another issue is that there might be two different Abraham/Abram men. On the 1830 census in Perry County, both Abraham and Abram are counted as heads of households on different pages.31 Both men are between the ages of 20-29, and both have wives (assuming) in the same age range. But the children in each house are different ages and genders, so it doesn't seem to be a simple case of double counting the same guy. There is also a record where Abram Holms is the Sworn Chain Carrier on a land survey for Abraham Holmes in Perry County in 1830.32 Is there one Abraham? Are there two? I don't know. I do know that it's now clear that one was a son of James, and if there was another, he was probably a son of William (b. 1783). I think James and William must have shared a very tiny baby name book.
4. Milly Holmes Wright
Another surprise! Milly, or Mildred J. Holmes, was born in July 1811, according to her headstone.33 She must have married Thomas Wright before 1830 - he is enumerated near other Holmeses in Perry County in 1830 with a wife who fits Milly's age, and a daughter under the age of 5.34 Milly and Thomas moved to Kentucky sometime before 1840 and had at least 7 children. Two of their children, Mary Margaret Wright Sullinger35 and Thomas Jefferson Wright,36 left death certificates which name their parents. Milly died in 1868 and is buried in Boyd Cemetery in Crittenden County, Kentucky.37
5. Sylvia Holmes Lee
We met Sylvia "Silva" Holmes in the last post. There are two conflicting sources for her birthdate. One is her headstone,38 hand carved by her son, Wyatt Haley Lee, which is hard to read but looks like 1807 or 1809. The age she gives on the 1850 census, 38, puts her birthdate closer to 1811 or 1812.39
When Sylvia and Abraham went to court in December 1847 to sell their shares in the estate of their deceased father, James, they were residents of Searcy County, Arkansas.40 That tells us that Sylvia was already living in Searcy County Arkansas by December 1847. Also, by that time she was a widow of Abel Lee. She is enumerated with four children in her household in 1850 in Searcy County, Arkansas - Wyatt, Sarah, James and Amanda, who seemingly also went by Cynthia Louisa.41 She died in 1867 and is buried in Rawlins Cemetery in Dallas County, Texas.42
6. Absalom Holmes
Absalom was born around 1813. He appears to be in his father's household in 1820,43 and is head of his own household in Wayne County, Tennessee in 1840.44 Either lucky in love, or unlucky in spousal longevity, or both, he has a different wife at nearly every census and therefore has a bunch of children. He's in Van Buren, AR in 185045 and 1870,46 in Newton, MO in 1860,47 and in Limestone, TX in 1880.48
Absalom is also one of the three living siblings at the time of Samuel's probate, one of the Plaintiffs in the S. Holmes 1872 Probate Document above.
7. George W. Holmes
George, my direct ancestor, was born around 1815. He lived in Perry County until just before 1850, where he is counted in Searcy County, Arkansas with many other family members.49 Then he lived in Missouri, but moved to Texas before 1860 where he seems to elude the census in both 1860 and 1870. He and Caroline pop back up in Robertson County, Texas in 1880,50 and die sometime after 1884 in Edwards County, Texas, where they are both buried at Vance Cemetery.51
I've written pretty extensively about George, so you can review those posts for more details: George Washington Holmes Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, George Moves In, Records Emerge After the Death of James Holmes. You can read about George's wife Caroline here.
George, along with Abraham and Absalom, are the only living siblings of Samuel Holmes by 1872. He is one of the Plaintiffs in the S. Holmes 1872 Probate Document above, suing the heirs of his siblings for the right to partition and sell his deceased brother's land.
8. James Holmes Jr.
Yet another surprise. Based on the records after James Sr. died, I was suspecting a James Jr. as one of his children, but when I found the document above - the S. Holmes 1872 Probate Document - I realized I had the wrong James in mind.
I really only had one James on my radar, because as mentioned in Samuel's section, I chose to ignore that confusing 1850 census record with the other James. (Lesson learned!) The James I was tracking was born around 1807. But 1807 James is still alive at Samuel's death and probate, so it can't be him. The S. Holmes 1872 Probate Document clearly indicated that the James that is a sibling to Samuel is deceased. 1807 James might be a son to 1783 William, but he's not our guy.
So who is this James? That's when I had to turn back to the confusing record where James was living with Samuel in Wayne County, TN in 1850.52 That household had:
Samuel, age 48
James, age 32
Elizabeth, age 24
Susannah, male, age 2
A. Whitson, age 32 (I believe that he was a relative of Elizabeth)
I think that James is the younger brother to Samuel, Elizabeth is James' wife, and the boy Susannah is really Samuel. I think Elizabeth's maiden name was Whitson, and A. Whitson is a relative, maybe brother.
If we think back to what was going on in the family at the time, their father James had died a few years earlier, and their brothers had left Tennessee and moved to Arkansas. As the last two remaining brothers living in Tennessee, it makes sense that they would be living together, or at least near each other.
In 1860, James is counted in Samuel's household again, in Stoddard, MO.53 In that household:
Samuel, age 58
James, age 48
Samuel, age 12
(all born in TN)
There are of course discrepancies across these two records, in James' age, in Samuel Jr. name, and in the absence of Elizabeth in the second record. But I'm still speculating that this James is the brother of Samuel. Based on the ages reported on each census, his birthdate would be around 1812 or 1818.
One more thing - in the beginning of the S. Holmes 1872 Probate Document above, James' heirs are listed as Samuel and Absalom. Then, in in the body of the record, only Samuel is mentioned. It's also curious that there was not an Absalom on the census with James in either 1850 or 1860.
9. Jacob L Holmes
Jacob L. Holmes, whose probate is discussed at the beginning of this post, was born around 1819. He appears to be in his father's household in Perry County, TN in 182054 and 1830.55 In 1850, he is in Searcy Co, AR with a wife (assuming) Sarah Ann, and 2 children - William Leaner, age 6, and George W, age 6 months.56 Both sons were born in Arkansas, suggesting that he was in that state by about 1844.
After the death of their father, he joined brothers Absalom and James in selling his interests in his father's estate to brother Samuel.57
The S. Holmes 1872 Probate Document, and the record when George Washington Holmes is removed as guardian of Jacob's children58 are in agreement about Jacob's 4 children: William, Julia Ann, GW and Caroline. I'm not sure if their mother was living or not at the time of Jacob's death, but it would not be uncommon at the time for a male guardian to be appointed even if the mother was still alive.
To review, here are the approximate birthdates of James' children, calculated from census or other records or gleaned from tombstones (so all are approximate):
Benjamin 1799?
Samuel 1802
Abraham 1806
Sylvia 1807/9 (or as late as 1812)
Milly 1811
James 1812 (or 1818)
Absalom 1813
George 1815
Jacob 1819
I'll link up one more time to Nathan's post on the Holmes family at his blog, The Salt of America. He and I get to the same big conclusions, then take different viewpoints on some of the smaller details. Which just goes to show that in this hobby, some facts are very compelling, and some are up for interpretation. He also gets into other record sources and topics that I didn't cover here. Nathan and I look forward to collaborating on some future family research.
In the big picture view, the details like whether James Jr was born in 1812 or 1818, or where Sylvia fits into the census, or where Benjamin was enumerated in 1820 are minor. We'll never know exactly, and that's what keeps us looking! Small details aside, this is a very important document for Holmes family researchers. I finally have proof of a father and 8 siblings for my ancestor George Washington Holmes. Now to find out the identity of James' wife, and to learn more about his parents and his beginnings in South Carolina. The journey never ends!
Thanks for reading!
____________________
2. "Missouri Probate Records, 1750-1998," Newton County, Missouri, Administrator, Executor, Guardian Bonds, 1839-1889, Volume A, page 143, (image 82/497), 23 Aug 1855; digital image, FamilySearch (familysearch.org : viewed 26 Apr 2019). Original source: Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City.
3. "Missouri Probate Records, 1750-1998," Newton County, Missouri, Probates, 1847-1867, Volume B, page 138, (image 416/682), “Estate of Jacob L Holmes, dec,” Dec 1856; digital image, FamilySearch (familysearch.org : viewed 26 Apr 2019). Original source: Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City.
4. "Missouri Probate Records, 1750-1998," Newton County, Missouri, Probates, 1847-1867, Volume B, page 383-384, (image 548-549/682), “Minor Heirs of Jacob L Holmes, decd,” Jan 1860; digital image, FamilySearch (familysearch.org : viewed 26 Apr 2019). Original source: Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City.
5. 1850 US census, 5th Civil District, Wayne County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 562-562 (handwritten), dwelling 204, family 207, Saml Holms; NARA microfilm publication roll M432_899; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed April 2019).
6. 1860 US census, Pike, Stoddard, Missouri, population schedule, p. 473 (handwritten), dwelling 963, family 904, Samuel Holmes; Family History Library Film 803657, NARA microfilm publication roll M653_657; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed April 2019).
7. "Missouri Probate Records, 1750-1998," Stoddard County, Missouri, Probates, 1847-1873, Volume C, page 231, (image 124/817), “Estate of Samuel Holmes, Decd,” [two entries], 13 Feb 1866; digital image, FamilySearch (familysearch.org : viewed 26 Apr 2019). Original source: Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City.
8. "Court Records, 1836-1953; index, 1836-1951," Stoddard County, Missouri, Circuit Court, Court Records, Volume D, Page 710-711 (image 473/890), "Absalom Holmes, Abraham Holmes and George W Holmes, Plaintiffs against....} Petition for Partition of Real Estate," 9 January 1872, digital images, Family Search, film #007846263 (Familysearch.org : viewed 26 March 2019); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm publication, roll 1314.
9. Declaration by James Holmes (age 68), 23 Jan 1836; James Holmes, pension application file R5171 for service (Pvt., Lt. Farrow [Thomas Farrar Jr.], Capt. Benjamin Tutt, S.C. Regiment, Revolutionary War); Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service; Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files 1800-1900; National Archives, Washington D.C.; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed March 2019).
10. Perry County, Tennessee, Register of Deeds, Deed Book F, Page 361 (image 211), "Agreement between James Holmes and George W Holmes," 3 August 1846; digital images, Family Search, film #008264702 (Familysearch.org : viewed 29 January 2019).
11. Perry County, Tennessee, Register of Deeds, Deed Book H, Page 110 (image 505/684), "Know all men by these presents that we Absalom Holms James Holms and Jacob L Holms," August 1847; digital images, Family Search, film #008264702 (Familysearch.org ; viewed 26 March 2019).
12. Perry County, Tennessee, Register of Deeds, Deed Book G, Page 133 (image 304/684), "Know all men by these presents that we Abram Holmes and Sylva Lea," 16 Dec 1847; digital images, Family Search, film #008264702 (Familysearch.org : viewed 26 March 2019).
13. Perry County, Tennessee, Register of Deeds, Deed Book H, Page 175 (image 538/684), "Circuit Court January Term 1849, Homes & administrators & heirs vs Homes heirs," recorded 3 March 1851; digital images, Family Search, film #008264702 (Familysearch.org ; viewed 26 March 2019).
14. See #7
15. See #8
16. See #10 and #13
17. See #12
18. See #8
19. On June 18, 1915, William D Holmes wrote a letter to the Van Buren Democrat newspaper, in response to a request for "letters from old settlers" in which he detailed some of the events of his life. Will wrote that he was born in Perry County, Tennessee in 1837, and that his father moved the family from Tennessee to Searcy County, Arkansas in 1844, and then on to Van Buren County, Arkansas in 1849. He also wrote, "My first home in the county was 12 miles northwest of Clinton, on what is now known as the Couch farm. We were living there when the war came up in 1861, my father enlisting in the army. I remember helping my father, Ben Holmes, my uncle Week Holmes, and Jess Barnes build the first jail house ever built in Van Buren County, and it was built at Clinton. I was 16 or 18 years old at the time. It was built of hewed logs. Some time after this my father elected county treasurer. He couldn't write very well and I assisted him." This letter shows that Will's father was Ben (Benjamin) Holmes and his uncle was Week (Welcome) Holmes. Benjamin Holmes was born around 1816, and Welcome Holmes around 1814, and are likely sone of William Holmes (b. 1783). This letter is typewritten, not an image of the actual newspaper article, and was submitted by a user on Ancestry.
20. 1820 US census, Perry County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 274 (handwritten), 12th line, James Homes; NARA microfilm publication roll M33_122; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 April 2019).
21. 1830 US census, Perry County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 247 (handwritten), 8th line, Holmes Saml.; Series M19, Roll 179, Family History Library Film # 0024537, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 April 2019).
22. 1840 US census, Wayne County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 75 (handwritten), 10th line, Saml. Holms; Roll 536, Family History Library Film # 0024550, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 April 2019).
23. See #5
24. See #8
25. See #1
26. See #7
27. See #20
28. 1830 US census, Perry County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 246 (handwritten), 9th line, Holmes Abram.; Series M19, Roll 179, Family History Library Film # 0024537, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 April 2019).
or
1830 US census, Perry County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 247 (handwritten), 7th line, Holmes Abraham.; Series M19, Roll 179, Family History Library Film # 0024537, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 April 2019).
29. 1850 US census, Campbell, Searcy County, Arkansas, population schedule, p. 172A (stamped), dwelling 132, family 135, Abram Holms; NARA microfilm publication roll M432_30; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed April 2019).
30. 1860 US census, Pike, Stoddard, Missouri, population schedule, p. 473 (handwritten), dwelling 958, family 899, Abe Holmes; Family History Library Film 803657, NARA microfilm publication roll M653_657; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed April 2019).
31. See #28
32. Perry County, Tennessee, Register of Deeds: Land Surveys, Vol A, Page 87 (image 75/579), "No. 119 Abraham Holmes 25 acr," 20 Dec 1830; digital images, Family Search, film #008320515, (Familysearch.org : viewed 27 March 2019).
33. Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 01 May 2019), memorial page for Mildred J. Holmes Wright (14 Jul 1811–15 Feb 1868), Find A Grave Memorial no. 68658817, citing Boyd Cemetery, Sheridan, Crittenden County, Kentucky, USA ; Maintained by ICD (contributor 47032089) .
34. 1830 US census, Perry County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 247 (handwritten), 11th line, Wright Thos.; Series M19, Roll 179, Family History Library Film # 0024537, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 May 2019).
36. "Kentucky, Death Records, 1852-1965," Death Certificates 1911-1965, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives; Frankfort, Kentucky, film #7017547, certificate number 3261 (stamped) record for Thomas J. Wright, date of death 4 Feb 1930, county of death Crittenden, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed May 1 2019).
37. See #33
38. Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 01 May 2019), memorial page for Sylvia "Silva" Lee (1810–20 Apr 1867), Find A Grave Memorial no. 36525432, citing Rawlins Cemetery, Lancaster, Dallas County, Texas, USA ; Maintained by Mary Ann Moore- Million (contributor 47062285) .
39. 1850 US Census, Searcy County, Arkansas, population schedule, Campbell township, page 178A (stamped), dwelling 206, family 211, Sylvia Lee, NARA microfilm publication roll M432_30; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed Nov 2017)
40. See #12
41. See #39
42. See #38
43. See #20
44. 1840 US census, Wayne County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 67A (stamped), 15th line, Absolm Holms; Roll 536, Family History Library Film # 0024550, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 April 2019).
45. 1850 US census, Hartsugg, Van Buren County, Arkansas, population schedule, p. 296 (stamped), dwelling 13, family 13, Absalom Holmes; NARA microfilm publication roll M432_31; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed April 2019).
46. 1870 US census, Red River, Van Buren, Arkansas, population schedule, p. 51B, dwelling 14, family 14, Holmes Absm; Family History Library Film 545565 NARA microfilm publication roll M593_66; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed April 2019).
47. 1860 US census, Franklin, Newton, Missouri, population schedule, p. 1009, dwelling 1351, family 1385, Absalom Holmes; Family History Library Film 803636, NARA microfilm publication roll M653_636; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed April 2019).
48. 1880 US census, Enumeration District #96, Limestone, Texas, population schedule, p. 408A (stamped), dwelling 114, Homes, Absalem; Family History Library Film 1255317, NARA microfilm publication roll 1317, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed May 2019).
49. 1850 US Census, Searcy County, Arkansas, population schedule, Campbell township, page 172A (stamped), dwelling 131, family 134, George W Holmes, NARA microfilm publication roll M432_30; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed Nov 2017).
50. 1880 US Census, Robertson County, Texas, population schedule, Bremond township, page 40 (handwritten), dwelling 32, family 33, George W Holmes, Family History Film 1255324, Roll 1324; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : Accessed Nov 2017).
51. Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 01 May 2019), memorial page for Mr. George Washington Holmes (1813–1870), Find A Grave Memorial no. 12919518, citing Vance Cemetery, Vance, Real County, Texas, USA ; Maintained by Mark Lindahl (contributor 46808716) .
Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 01 May 2019), memorial page for Mrs. Caroline Harvey Holmes (1819–unknown), Find A Grave Memorial no. 12919517, citing Vance Cemetery, Vance, Real County, Texas, USA ; Maintained by Mark Lindahl (contributor 46808716) .
52. See #5
53. See #6
54. See #20
55. 1830 US census, Perry County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 246 (handwritten), 16th line, Holmes Jas.; Series M19, Roll 179, Family History Library Film # 0024537, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 April 2019).
56. 1850 US Census, Searcy County, Arkansas, population schedule, Campbell township, page 171B (stamped), dwelling 130, family 133, Jacob L Holmes, NARA microfilm publication roll M432_30; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed Nov 2017)
57. See #11
58. See #4
59. See #20
60. See #38
61. See #39
62. See #55
63. See #21
64. See #28
65. See #34
Next, the records produced after the death of James Holmes broaden the pool of people who appear to be children of James Holmes to include not only George Washington Holmes, but also Samuel, Abraham, Absalom, James Jr., Jacob L., and Sylvia.
I realize many long suffering Holmes researchers are not yet convinced. We need more than just hints and suggestions to sort out the relationships that have confused researchers of this family line for years.
There are two more events to explore in unraveling these family relationships. The first is the death of George's brother, Jacob L. Holmes. The second is the death of George's brother, Samuel Holmes.
Highlights from the Probate of Jacob L. Holmes
Jacob L. Holmes was born around 1819 in Tennessee and died around 1855 in Newton County, Missouri. I mentioned in this post that he was counted, along with many of the other Holmes men, in Searcy County, Arkansas in 1850. But sometime before 1855 he moved to Newton County Missouri, where he died (intestate) at the young age of 36.The details of his probate include the following: he died before 29 August 1855, because on this date Abraham Holmes, also of Newton County, was appointed administrator of his estate.1 Abraham Holmes put up the administrator's bond, and George W. Holmes and Absalom Holmes help him post the money for the bond (they are listed as providing security for the bond.)2 In December 1856, George Washington Holmes made application for, and was appointed guardian of Jacob's minor children.3 In the Probate Court Term of January 1860 "Washington Holmes" is removed as guardian because he is planning to move from the state of Missouri.4 (This is the first time I've ever seen George referred to by only his middle name.) In this record to remove George Washington Holmes as guardian, the minor heirs of Jacob are listed as G W Holmes, Julian (Julia Ann) Holmes, and Caroline Holmes. (Yes, Jacob named two of his kids after his brother and sister in law.) Another son, William Holmes, is over the age of 14 in 1860 and is able to choose his guardian.
This is yet another hint that Jacob L. Holmes, Abraham Holmes, Absalom Holmes, and George W. Holmes are brothers.
Highlights from the Probate of Samuel Holmes
Ooooooh, I'm finally getting to the good stuff I've been wanting to tell you! Samuel's probate provides proof of his siblings, nailing down relationships that the previous records have just been hinting at!!Quick stats on Samuel Holmes. Based on his age on the 18505 and 18606 censuses, he would have been born around 1802 in Tennessee. He died before June 1865 in Stoddard County, Missouri.
Samuel's probate file is extensive and drags on for years. I'll try to skip to the juicy bits. The first record that I can see is dated 2 June 1865, suggesting that he died sometime before that date. The estate goes through 2 different administrators before, in February of 1866, Abraham Holmes comes forward to say that he is the oldest brother of Samuel and wants to administer his estate. (Which he does as co-administrator with James A. Cooper.)7 Boom - Abraham and Samuel are brothers - there's one relationship!
As seems to be the trend, Samuel Holmes died intestate. Samuel does not have a wife or children alive at the time of his death, so his estate would be divided equally among his siblings. The main assets at his death appear to be his land. (His slaves would have gained their freedom about a year before his death.) Part of the settlement of his estate necessitated selling his land to cover his debts. Now, only three siblings are living at the time of his death - Absalom, Abraham and George. These three, the Plaintiffs in the case, have to sue the living heirs of the deceased siblings, the Defendants, for the rights to sell the land. Herein lies genealogy gold! Not only are Samuel's siblings spelled out, but also some of their heirs. Huge thanks to Nathan who writes the blog at Salt of America for making me aware of this document! You can go read his very thorough post on the Holmes family.
Here's a transcription of the document (I am leaving out the actual land description, indicated by the ellipsis. I am also giving this record a title so that I can refer to it later.
S. Holmes 1872 Probate Document8
Circuit Court November Term 1871January 9, 1872, 14th day of the term
Absalom Holmes, Abraham Holmes }
and George W Holmes Plaintifffs} Petition for Partition of Real Estate
against
The heirs of James Holmes deceased to wit Samuel Holmes & Absalom
Holmes, The unknown heirs of Benjamin Holmes deceased
The heirs of Jacob Holmes decd to wit, William Holmes
Julia Ann Holmes, George W Holmes & Caroline Holmes
and Sylvia Lee late Holmes and the unknown heirs of Milly
Wright late Holmes, - Defendants, - Now on this 9th day
of January 1872, came the parties, herein by their attorney and [thereupon?]
all and singular the matters and things being submitted to the court and
by the court, seen and heard, the Court doth find that the parties hereto
are entitled to and interested in the lands in the Petition described in the manner
following that is to say the said Plaintiffs and defendants are the legal representatives
of the said Samuel Holmes deceased and that the original parties to wit, the said
Absalom Holmes, Abraham Holmes, George W Holmes, Benjamin Holmes, Jacob
Holmes, James Holmes, Sylvia Lee (late Holmes), and Milly Wright (late Holmes), being
brothers and sisters of the said Samuel Holmes deceased and are such
entitled to the one eighth part of the following real Estate, herein after described
that the said James Holmes is dead and that the said Samuel Holmes
Junior was his son and entitled to the interest of his deceased father and
is further appearing that said interest had been legally transferred to James
A Cooper, to whom the said interest now belongs. That the said Jacob Holmes
is dead and left as his legal representatives to wit William, Julia Ann, George W
James and Caroline Holmes, are each entitled to the one fourth of an eighth of said
estate, that Sylvia Lee is now dead leaving heirs whose names and places
of Residence is unknown that they are entitled to the one eighth part
of said Real estate that Milly Wright late Holmes is now dead and left heirs
whose names and residences are unknown, but who are entitled to the one
eighth part of said real estate that the said Benjamin Holmes is dead
and left heirs whose names and places of residence is unknown but who are entitled
to the interest of their deceased parent to wit One eighth part, that said
real estate is as follows to wit...containing eight hundred and forty acres - It is
therefore considered that partition of said [p?] be made herein and it
further appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that owing to the nature and condition
of said real estate and the number and interests of said claimants that partition
[curreat?] be made in kind. It is therefore ordered and agreed by the court
that said real Estate be sold, and that partition of the proceeds thereof be
made to the parties according to their respective rights herein.
 |
| "...Absalom Holmes, Abraham Holmes, George W Holmes, Benjamin Holmes, Jacob Holmes, James Holmes, Sylvia Lee (late Holmes), and Milly Wright (late Holmes), being brothers and sisters of the said Samuel Holmes deceased..." |
What Does This Document Tell Us?
The part pictured above highlights the portion of the document where Samuel's siblings are listed as Absalom Holmes, Abraham Holmes, George W. Holmes, Benjamin Holmes, Jacob Holmes, James Holmes, Sylvia Lee (late Holmes), and Milly Wright (late Holmes). This, of course, is an enormous help in solidifying relationships in this family - this document ties all nine as siblings.
Just to be clear, the James mentioned in this document, as a brother to Samuel, would be James Holmes Jr., born around 1812 or 1818. I'll explore more about him below. In the nest section, I'll start trying to make a case that James Holmes Sr. is the father of Samuel, and George, and and all of Samuel's other siblings spelled out in this record.
Just to be clear, the James mentioned in this document, as a brother to Samuel, would be James Holmes Jr., born around 1812 or 1818. I'll explore more about him below. In the nest section, I'll start trying to make a case that James Holmes Sr. is the father of Samuel, and George, and and all of Samuel's other siblings spelled out in this record.
But back to analyzing the document at hand. It is very clear about which of the eight siblings of Samuel are deceased by 1872: Benjamin, James (Jr.), Sylvia Jacob and Milly. This is helpful information when we're researching in a time and place where death records are not readily available. Knowing, for example, that James (Jr.) and Benjamin are deceased by 1872 is helpful in knowing exactly which James and Benjamin were brothers to Samuel. More on that later.
Finally, this document give a few details about the heirs of the deceased siblings of Samuel. The document names Samuel Holmes and Absalom Holmes as the heirs of James Holmes (Jr.). William Holmes, Julia Ann Holmes, George W Holmes, and Caroline Holmes are named as the heirs of Jacob Holmes. The heirs of Benjamin, Milly, and Sylvia are said to be unknown.
Making the Case for James as Father of George
James Holmes, Sr. was born around 1767 or 1768 in South Carolina. He claims, in a Revolutionary War pension, that he served in the war as a boy with his father, William Holmes, entering the service in Spartanburg, South Carolina.9 James Holmes lived in Perry County, Tennessee from the time of the founding of the county in 1819 until his death there on or before August of 1847.
Proving that James Holmes Sr. was the father of George Washington Holmes is a case built on indirect evidence. That means there's no one smoking gun, no one solid piece of evidence that neatly ties these men together as father and son. Instead, we must piece together a series of records and make a case. That might explain why no one has this family correct in any online family tree. It's hard work to figure this family out, but we're going to do it!
Let's look back at some of the records that I've covered in this and the past two posts to build the case for James Holmes Sr. as the father of George W. Holmes (and the others).
Proving that James Holmes Sr. was the father of George Washington Holmes is a case built on indirect evidence. That means there's no one smoking gun, no one solid piece of evidence that neatly ties these men together as father and son. Instead, we must piece together a series of records and make a case. That might explain why no one has this family correct in any online family tree. It's hard work to figure this family out, but we're going to do it!
Let's look back at some of the records that I've covered in this and the past two posts to build the case for James Holmes Sr. as the father of George W. Holmes (and the others).
- Remember a few posts ago, when George moved in with James Sr.? The two men, both residents of Perry County, TN, entered into an agreement where George would move onto James Sr.'s farm and help him take care of things, and James Sr. would in turn leave his farm (150 acres) to George, calling George his heir.10 That all went down in August 1846. I opened this post talking about that record. As a stand alone record, it is not sufficient evidence to prove a father/son relationship. But it is enough to prove that George is an heir of James Holmes Sr.
Then James Holmes Sr. died in Perry County, TN before August 1847.
- In August of 1847, Absalom, James Jr. and Jacob, all of Perry County, TN, sell "unto Samuel Holmes all the claim title and interest that we separately and individually have in and to the estate of James Holmes Deceased."11 They don't specifically say that James is their father, but it's implied based on their status as heirs, having claim, title and interest in in the intestate estate of James Holmes. In this record, it is also stated that Samuel is the administrator of James' estate. So this record proves that Absalom, James Jr. and Jacob are also heirs of James Holmes Sr. And Samuel administered James' estate.
- Similarly, in December of 1847, Abraham Holmes and Sylvia Holmes Lee, residents of Searcy County, Arkansas, do the same, selling their interest in the estate of their father to Samuel Holmes. In the record, they "have this day bargained, sold and transferred, all our right, title, and claim to each of our respective sheares of the estate of our father, James Holmes, Deceased, late of Tennessee Perry County..."12 They do actually state that James Holmes was their father, which is very helpful. See this post for more information on both of these records. This record proves that James Holmes Sr. is the father of Abraham and Sylvia.
- In January 1849, there is a record in the Perry County, TN Deed books. I also discussed this record more in depth and included pictures in my last post. This 1849 Perry County, TN record is a Circuit Court case where the parties are named as Holmes and Administrators and heirs vs Holmes heirs.13 The purpose of the case is to divide the property (slaves) of James Holmes Sr., deceased. Samuel Holmes purchases 6 slaves from the estate, and George purchases one slave from the estate. Samuel and George are the party named as "Holmes and administrators and heirs" - they are named as heirs to James Holmes in a court record that was created in settlement of his estate. This record proves that George and Samuel are heirs of James Holmes Sr.
- At Samuel's probate, discussed above, in Feb 1866 - Stoddard County, Missouri - Abraham Holmes comes forward to say that he is the oldest brother of Samuel and wants to administer his estate.14 This record proves that Abraham and Samuel are brothers.
Let's tally the current proven relationships:
George - heir of James Sr. - 2 records prove this
Absalom - heir of James Sr.
James Jr. - heir of James Sr.
Jacob - heir of James Sr.
Abraham - child of James Sr., brother of Samuel
Sylvia - child of James Sr.
Samuel - heir of James Sr., administrator of James Sr. estate, brother of Abraham
George - heir of James Sr. - 2 records prove this
Absalom - heir of James Sr.
James Jr. - heir of James Sr.
Jacob - heir of James Sr.
Abraham - child of James Sr., brother of Samuel
Sylvia - child of James Sr.
Samuel - heir of James Sr., administrator of James Sr. estate, brother of Abraham
Now - add in the fact that Samuel, Absalom, Abraham, George, Benjamin, Jacob, James, Sylvia and Milly are all siblings, as proven in the S. Holmes 1872 Probate Document.15 These sibling relationships are like the bow that ties everything together. Let's take George, for example, since he's my direct ancestor. Because George is a proven heir of James,16 because Abraham and Sylvia are proven children of James,17 and because George, Abraham and Sylvia are proven siblings of each other,18 then George is a son of James. The same logic can be applied for the others who in the tally were just heirs - Absalom, James Jr., Jacob, and Samuel are also sons of James.
(I'm going to repeat it again because it's just so exciting!) I feel confident in concluding that George, Absalom, James Jr., Jacob, Abraham, Sylvia and Samuel are children of James Holmes Sr. because there is a record linking all of them as siblings, records linking each of them as heirs of James Sr., and a record that links two of them as children of James Sr.
Further, I believe that Milly is a daughter of James Holmes Sr., and while I don't have a record to tie her directly to him, I do share DNA with at least 2 descendants of Milly on Ancestry through her son Thomas J. Wright.
I know very little about Benjamin - he and Milly were both completely unknown to me until this record. The only way I have to tie Benjamin as a son to James Sr. is that Benjamin was a sibling to the rest and they are all children of James Sr. That may be shaky at best, but hey, he's not my direct ancestor, and proving his parentage is not the goal of this writing. For the remainder of this post, I'm sharing information and analysis under the assumption that James Holmes Sr. is the father of all nine: Samuel, Absalom, Abraham, George, Benjamin, Jacob, James Jr., Sylvia, and Milly. I just want there to be an understanding that I feel my proof for Benajmin is a bit lacking.
Further, I believe that Milly is a daughter of James Holmes Sr., and while I don't have a record to tie her directly to him, I do share DNA with at least 2 descendants of Milly on Ancestry through her son Thomas J. Wright.
I know very little about Benjamin - he and Milly were both completely unknown to me until this record. The only way I have to tie Benjamin as a son to James Sr. is that Benjamin was a sibling to the rest and they are all children of James Sr. That may be shaky at best, but hey, he's not my direct ancestor, and proving his parentage is not the goal of this writing. For the remainder of this post, I'm sharing information and analysis under the assumption that James Holmes Sr. is the father of all nine: Samuel, Absalom, Abraham, George, Benjamin, Jacob, James Jr., Sylvia, and Milly. I just want there to be an understanding that I feel my proof for Benajmin is a bit lacking.
Finally, and this is super important - who has not been mentioned in any of these records? William!!! (I'm referring to William Holmes, born around 1783.) William Holmes is not the father of George Washington Holmes. William and James Sr. were likely brothers, their father is the aforementioned Revolutionary War soldier, William Holmes. Go change your trees, spread the word! Let's finally get some correct Holmes family information out there!
The Siblings of George W. Holmes/Children of James Holmes
1. Benjamin Holmes
As mentioned, this was one of the surprises - this Benjamin was previously unknown to me. He may have predeceased James, because he was never mentioned in the records when James Sr. died. The only things I really know about this Benjamin were pointed out by Nathan in his blog post linked above. He was a Sworn Chain Carrier (SCC) on a 1821 deed from Absalom Denton to William Young, and was a signer of the 1819 petition to form Perry County. To be a SCC in 1821, because of the sworn part, he would have to be 21. That puts his birthdate around or before 1800. The only other facts can be inferred from the court document above, the S. Holmes 1872 Probate Document, is that Benjamin must have had children, and that he is deceased by 1872.
There is a different Benjamin Holmes, who was born around 1816. I mentioned 1816 Benjamin briefly in my very first post. He was in Perry County, TN in 1840, Searcy County, AR in 1850, Van Buren County, AR in 1860 and 1870 and Wise County, TX in 1880. So 1816 Benjamin can't be the one who is a brother of Samuel, because, for one thing, he's still alive at the time of Samuel's death. The record above, the S. Holmes 1872 Probate Document, clearly states that the Benjamin who was a brother of Samuel is deceased by 1872.
Further, there is a record where the son of 1816 Benajmin Holmes, William D (Will) Holmes, wrote a letter to his local newspaper documenting some of the details of his life.19 In his story, Will states that his father was Benjamin Holmes, and his uncle was Week Holmes (Welcome Holmes, born around 1814). This record connects 1816 Benjamin and Welcome Holmes as brothers. Because Welcome Holmes is not listed as a sibling of Samuel, then 1816 Benjamin is not the Benjamin who is a sibling of Samuel. 1816 Benjamin and 1814 Welcome are likely nephews of James Holmes Sr., and sons of William Holmes (b. 1783).
2. Samuel Holmes
He's the rich, single guy whose probate, above, gives us genealogy gold! As previously mentioned, Samuel was born around 1802. Samuel seems to be in the home of James Sr. in Perry County, Tennessee in 182020, and is head of his own household in Perry in 1830.21 Interestingly, there are 5 children in his home in 1830, 3 males under 5 and two females ages 5-9, but no wife. We can only guess if these were his children or someone else's children in his care. If they were his children, they were not alive by the time of his death in 1865.
In 1840, Samuel is living alone in neighboring Wayne County, Tennessee.22
In 1850, Samuel is 48. His household includes a 32 year old male James (actually it's written as Janes), 24 year old Elizabeth, a 2 year old male named Susanah and A. Whitson, male, age 32. (All of them were born in Tennessee.)23 In 1850, no relationships are given on the census. I actually just tried to ignore this census listing because it's so confusing. The two men with a 16 year age gap, just wide enough to be biologically possibly that they are father and son, though not likely. The male named Janes, the boy names Susannah. But when another James didn't fit as James Sr.'s son, I had to go back and reconsider this record. More on that when I talk about James, below.
3. Abraham Holmes
Abraham was born around 1806. He appeared in the records after his father, James, died,24 and administered the estates of his brothers Jacob25 and Samuel.26 He appears to be in James' household in 1820,27 head of his own household in Perry County in 1830,28 then in Searcy County, Arkansas in 1850.29 But based on a few records, he probably moved to Arkansas closer to 1840. By 1860, he is in Stoddard, Missouri.30
Abraham is one of the three living siblings at the time of Samuel's probate, one of the Plaintiffs in the S. Holmes 1872 Probate Document above.
A few things make Abraham confusing. One is that the names Abraham and its abbreviation Abram are used interchangeable, often within the same document. Another issue is that there might be two different Abraham/Abram men. On the 1830 census in Perry County, both Abraham and Abram are counted as heads of households on different pages.31 Both men are between the ages of 20-29, and both have wives (assuming) in the same age range. But the children in each house are different ages and genders, so it doesn't seem to be a simple case of double counting the same guy. There is also a record where Abram Holms is the Sworn Chain Carrier on a land survey for Abraham Holmes in Perry County in 1830.32 Is there one Abraham? Are there two? I don't know. I do know that it's now clear that one was a son of James, and if there was another, he was probably a son of William (b. 1783). I think James and William must have shared a very tiny baby name book.
4. Milly Holmes Wright
Another surprise! Milly, or Mildred J. Holmes, was born in July 1811, according to her headstone.33 She must have married Thomas Wright before 1830 - he is enumerated near other Holmeses in Perry County in 1830 with a wife who fits Milly's age, and a daughter under the age of 5.34 Milly and Thomas moved to Kentucky sometime before 1840 and had at least 7 children. Two of their children, Mary Margaret Wright Sullinger35 and Thomas Jefferson Wright,36 left death certificates which name their parents. Milly died in 1868 and is buried in Boyd Cemetery in Crittenden County, Kentucky.37
5. Sylvia Holmes Lee
We met Sylvia "Silva" Holmes in the last post. There are two conflicting sources for her birthdate. One is her headstone,38 hand carved by her son, Wyatt Haley Lee, which is hard to read but looks like 1807 or 1809. The age she gives on the 1850 census, 38, puts her birthdate closer to 1811 or 1812.39
When Sylvia and Abraham went to court in December 1847 to sell their shares in the estate of their deceased father, James, they were residents of Searcy County, Arkansas.40 That tells us that Sylvia was already living in Searcy County Arkansas by December 1847. Also, by that time she was a widow of Abel Lee. She is enumerated with four children in her household in 1850 in Searcy County, Arkansas - Wyatt, Sarah, James and Amanda, who seemingly also went by Cynthia Louisa.41 She died in 1867 and is buried in Rawlins Cemetery in Dallas County, Texas.42
6. Absalom Holmes
Absalom was born around 1813. He appears to be in his father's household in 1820,43 and is head of his own household in Wayne County, Tennessee in 1840.44 Either lucky in love, or unlucky in spousal longevity, or both, he has a different wife at nearly every census and therefore has a bunch of children. He's in Van Buren, AR in 185045 and 1870,46 in Newton, MO in 1860,47 and in Limestone, TX in 1880.48
Absalom is also one of the three living siblings at the time of Samuel's probate, one of the Plaintiffs in the S. Holmes 1872 Probate Document above.
7. George W. Holmes
George, my direct ancestor, was born around 1815. He lived in Perry County until just before 1850, where he is counted in Searcy County, Arkansas with many other family members.49 Then he lived in Missouri, but moved to Texas before 1860 where he seems to elude the census in both 1860 and 1870. He and Caroline pop back up in Robertson County, Texas in 1880,50 and die sometime after 1884 in Edwards County, Texas, where they are both buried at Vance Cemetery.51
I've written pretty extensively about George, so you can review those posts for more details: George Washington Holmes Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, George Moves In, Records Emerge After the Death of James Holmes. You can read about George's wife Caroline here.
George, along with Abraham and Absalom, are the only living siblings of Samuel Holmes by 1872. He is one of the Plaintiffs in the S. Holmes 1872 Probate Document above, suing the heirs of his siblings for the right to partition and sell his deceased brother's land.
8. James Holmes Jr.
Yet another surprise. Based on the records after James Sr. died, I was suspecting a James Jr. as one of his children, but when I found the document above - the S. Holmes 1872 Probate Document - I realized I had the wrong James in mind.
I really only had one James on my radar, because as mentioned in Samuel's section, I chose to ignore that confusing 1850 census record with the other James. (Lesson learned!) The James I was tracking was born around 1807. But 1807 James is still alive at Samuel's death and probate, so it can't be him. The S. Holmes 1872 Probate Document clearly indicated that the James that is a sibling to Samuel is deceased. 1807 James might be a son to 1783 William, but he's not our guy.
So who is this James? That's when I had to turn back to the confusing record where James was living with Samuel in Wayne County, TN in 1850.52 That household had:
Samuel, age 48
James, age 32
Elizabeth, age 24
Susannah, male, age 2
A. Whitson, age 32 (I believe that he was a relative of Elizabeth)
I think that James is the younger brother to Samuel, Elizabeth is James' wife, and the boy Susannah is really Samuel. I think Elizabeth's maiden name was Whitson, and A. Whitson is a relative, maybe brother.
If we think back to what was going on in the family at the time, their father James had died a few years earlier, and their brothers had left Tennessee and moved to Arkansas. As the last two remaining brothers living in Tennessee, it makes sense that they would be living together, or at least near each other.
In 1860, James is counted in Samuel's household again, in Stoddard, MO.53 In that household:
Samuel, age 58
James, age 48
Samuel, age 12
(all born in TN)
There are of course discrepancies across these two records, in James' age, in Samuel Jr. name, and in the absence of Elizabeth in the second record. But I'm still speculating that this James is the brother of Samuel. Based on the ages reported on each census, his birthdate would be around 1812 or 1818.
One more thing - in the beginning of the S. Holmes 1872 Probate Document above, James' heirs are listed as Samuel and Absalom. Then, in in the body of the record, only Samuel is mentioned. It's also curious that there was not an Absalom on the census with James in either 1850 or 1860.
9. Jacob L Holmes
Jacob L. Holmes, whose probate is discussed at the beginning of this post, was born around 1819. He appears to be in his father's household in Perry County, TN in 182054 and 1830.55 In 1850, he is in Searcy Co, AR with a wife (assuming) Sarah Ann, and 2 children - William Leaner, age 6, and George W, age 6 months.56 Both sons were born in Arkansas, suggesting that he was in that state by about 1844.
After the death of their father, he joined brothers Absalom and James in selling his interests in his father's estate to brother Samuel.57
The S. Holmes 1872 Probate Document, and the record when George Washington Holmes is removed as guardian of Jacob's children58 are in agreement about Jacob's 4 children: William, Julia Ann, GW and Caroline. I'm not sure if their mother was living or not at the time of Jacob's death, but it would not be uncommon at the time for a male guardian to be appointed even if the mother was still alive.
Fitting the Family into The Census Records
Just for fun, let's try to fit Jame's children back in to the census records. Of course, this exercise is speculative, but I think it's an important part of verifying that the conclusions drawn are valid. Theses are my estimates of who was in James' household on the 1820 and 1830 censuses.To review, here are the approximate birthdates of James' children, calculated from census or other records or gleaned from tombstones (so all are approximate):
Benjamin 1799?
Samuel 1802
Abraham 1806
Sylvia 1807/9 (or as late as 1812)
Milly 1811
James 1812 (or 1818)
Absalom 1813
George 1815
Jacob 1819
1820 - James Holmes household - Perry County, TN (August enumeration)59
males under 10: 4 - Absalom (7), George (5), James Jr (2 or 8), Jacob L (1)
males 10-15: 2 - Abraham (14) and unknown son born 1805-1810
males 16-18: 1 - Samuel (18)
males 16-25: 1 - Samuel (18)
males 45+: 1 - James, father (53)
females under 10: 1 - Milly (9)
females 10-15: 1 - Sylvia (11/13?)
females 26-44: 1 - wife, identity currently unknown
persons engaged in agriculture: 5 (James, Samuel, Abraham, unknown son and male slave?)
slaves, male 14-25: 1
slaves, female, under 14: 1
free white persons under 16: 8
free white persons over 25: 2
total free white persons: 11
total slaves: 2
total, all persons: 13
Analysis:
- I have Samuel in two spots based on the census instructions for that year. "Those, for instance, between 16 and 18, will all be repeated in the column of those between 16 and 26."
- Taking that into consideration, there are nine children enumerated, plus James and a wife. Yay! But not all 9 fit perfectly. Boo!
- If Sylvia's birthdate was closer to the date on her headstone60 (1807? 1809?) than to the birthdate calculated based on her age in 185061 (age 38, putting her birthdate around 1812), then she fits as the 10-15 year old female.
- That leaves me with no spot for Benjamin and no identity for the other 10-15 year old son.
- Benjamin: Based on the two facts discussed in his section - that he was an SCC on an 1821 Perry County, TN deed, and signer on the 1819 petition to form Perry County, TN - it appears that he was in fact in Perry County at the time of the 1820 census. He would have been at least 20, and he can't be dead yet, based on being a SCC in 1821. He is not enumerated as head of his own household in Perry County. At least not that I can see. Some sections of the 1820 census are illegible. What if the census taker just wasn't following instructions, and he is the 16-25 year old male? But then the totals don't work out. The 8 free white persons under 16 are: 1. Absalom 2. George 3. James Jr 4. Jacob 5. Abraham, 6. unknown son 7. Milly and 8. Sylvia. The 2 free white persons over 25 are James and his wife. That makes 10 free white people. The census taker totaled 11 free white persons. So the one mark each in male 16-18 and 16-26 are in fact the same person, per the census instructions, making the total free white persons 11.
- I don't think Benjamin would be the unknown son, age 10-15 unless I'm misunderstanding the qualifications to be an SCC. If Benjamin was 10-15 in 1820, the he should not be old enough to be an SCC in the next year. I am not an expert on the history of land surveying, though. If you know more on this topic, please let me know!
- So who is the unknown son? Perhaps this was a different son who died before reaching adulthood, but that's just a guess.
1830 - James Holmes household - Perry County, TN (June enumeration)62
males 10-14: 2 - George (15) and Jacob (11)
males 15-19: 2 - Absalom (17) and James (18 - if the 1812 birthdate)
females 10-14: 1 - unknown, new since last census
females 50-59: 1 - wife, identity currently unknown
no slaves
free white persons under 20: 5
total free white persons: 6
total all persons: 6
Analysis:
- James Sr. is not enumerated in his own household! Where is he?!
- Samuel (28) is head of his own household in Perry County, TN.63
- Abraham (25) is head of his own household in Perry County, TN.64
- Sylvia (23?) has left home.
- Milly (19) has left home. She is enumerated in the home of her husband, Thomas Wright, in Perry County.65
- I'm convinced Benjamin is a ghost, and I feel bad for any descendants trying to find him. Did he die and that unknown 10-14 year old female was his daughter? And/or are the 5 children in Samuel's 1830 household Benjamin's children? Again, these are wild guesses.
- If this is James' same wife from 1820, then we can narrow her birthdate range. If she was 26-44 in 1820, and she's 50-59 in 1830, then there is only about a 4 year overlap. Her birth would have to be between 1776-1780.
Back to the Big Picture
In the big picture view, the details like whether James Jr was born in 1812 or 1818, or where Sylvia fits into the census, or where Benjamin was enumerated in 1820 are minor. We'll never know exactly, and that's what keeps us looking! Small details aside, this is a very important document for Holmes family researchers. I finally have proof of a father and 8 siblings for my ancestor George Washington Holmes. Now to find out the identity of James' wife, and to learn more about his parents and his beginnings in South Carolina. The journey never ends!
Thanks for reading!
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1. "Missouri Probate Records, 1750-1998," Newton County, Missouri, Administrator Letters, 1839-1894, Volume A, page 152 (image 87/870), 22 Aug 1855; digital image, FamilySearch (familysearch.org : viewed 26 Apr 2019). Original source: Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City.
2. "Missouri Probate Records, 1750-1998," Newton County, Missouri, Administrator, Executor, Guardian Bonds, 1839-1889, Volume A, page 143, (image 82/497), 23 Aug 1855; digital image, FamilySearch (familysearch.org : viewed 26 Apr 2019). Original source: Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City.
3. "Missouri Probate Records, 1750-1998," Newton County, Missouri, Probates, 1847-1867, Volume B, page 138, (image 416/682), “Estate of Jacob L Holmes, dec,” Dec 1856; digital image, FamilySearch (familysearch.org : viewed 26 Apr 2019). Original source: Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City.
4. "Missouri Probate Records, 1750-1998," Newton County, Missouri, Probates, 1847-1867, Volume B, page 383-384, (image 548-549/682), “Minor Heirs of Jacob L Holmes, decd,” Jan 1860; digital image, FamilySearch (familysearch.org : viewed 26 Apr 2019). Original source: Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City.
5. 1850 US census, 5th Civil District, Wayne County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 562-562 (handwritten), dwelling 204, family 207, Saml Holms; NARA microfilm publication roll M432_899; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed April 2019).
6. 1860 US census, Pike, Stoddard, Missouri, population schedule, p. 473 (handwritten), dwelling 963, family 904, Samuel Holmes; Family History Library Film 803657, NARA microfilm publication roll M653_657; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed April 2019).
8. "Court Records, 1836-1953; index, 1836-1951," Stoddard County, Missouri, Circuit Court, Court Records, Volume D, Page 710-711 (image 473/890), "Absalom Holmes, Abraham Holmes and George W Holmes, Plaintiffs against....} Petition for Partition of Real Estate," 9 January 1872, digital images, Family Search, film #007846263 (Familysearch.org : viewed 26 March 2019); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm publication, roll 1314.
9. Declaration by James Holmes (age 68), 23 Jan 1836; James Holmes, pension application file R5171 for service (Pvt., Lt. Farrow [Thomas Farrar Jr.], Capt. Benjamin Tutt, S.C. Regiment, Revolutionary War); Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service; Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files 1800-1900; National Archives, Washington D.C.; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed March 2019).
10. Perry County, Tennessee, Register of Deeds, Deed Book F, Page 361 (image 211), "Agreement between James Holmes and George W Holmes," 3 August 1846; digital images, Family Search, film #008264702 (Familysearch.org : viewed 29 January 2019).
11. Perry County, Tennessee, Register of Deeds, Deed Book H, Page 110 (image 505/684), "Know all men by these presents that we Absalom Holms James Holms and Jacob L Holms," August 1847; digital images, Family Search, film #008264702 (Familysearch.org ; viewed 26 March 2019).
12. Perry County, Tennessee, Register of Deeds, Deed Book G, Page 133 (image 304/684), "Know all men by these presents that we Abram Holmes and Sylva Lea," 16 Dec 1847; digital images, Family Search, film #008264702 (Familysearch.org : viewed 26 March 2019).
13. Perry County, Tennessee, Register of Deeds, Deed Book H, Page 175 (image 538/684), "Circuit Court January Term 1849, Homes & administrators & heirs vs Homes heirs," recorded 3 March 1851; digital images, Family Search, film #008264702 (Familysearch.org ; viewed 26 March 2019).
14. See #7
15. See #8
16. See #10 and #13
17. See #12
18. See #8
19. On June 18, 1915, William D Holmes wrote a letter to the Van Buren Democrat newspaper, in response to a request for "letters from old settlers" in which he detailed some of the events of his life. Will wrote that he was born in Perry County, Tennessee in 1837, and that his father moved the family from Tennessee to Searcy County, Arkansas in 1844, and then on to Van Buren County, Arkansas in 1849. He also wrote, "My first home in the county was 12 miles northwest of Clinton, on what is now known as the Couch farm. We were living there when the war came up in 1861, my father enlisting in the army. I remember helping my father, Ben Holmes, my uncle Week Holmes, and Jess Barnes build the first jail house ever built in Van Buren County, and it was built at Clinton. I was 16 or 18 years old at the time. It was built of hewed logs. Some time after this my father elected county treasurer. He couldn't write very well and I assisted him." This letter shows that Will's father was Ben (Benjamin) Holmes and his uncle was Week (Welcome) Holmes. Benjamin Holmes was born around 1816, and Welcome Holmes around 1814, and are likely sone of William Holmes (b. 1783). This letter is typewritten, not an image of the actual newspaper article, and was submitted by a user on Ancestry.
20. 1820 US census, Perry County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 274 (handwritten), 12th line, James Homes; NARA microfilm publication roll M33_122; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 April 2019).
21. 1830 US census, Perry County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 247 (handwritten), 8th line, Holmes Saml.; Series M19, Roll 179, Family History Library Film # 0024537, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 April 2019).
22. 1840 US census, Wayne County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 75 (handwritten), 10th line, Saml. Holms; Roll 536, Family History Library Film # 0024550, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 April 2019).
23. See #5
24. See #8
25. See #1
26. See #7
27. See #20
28. 1830 US census, Perry County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 246 (handwritten), 9th line, Holmes Abram.; Series M19, Roll 179, Family History Library Film # 0024537, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 April 2019).
or
1830 US census, Perry County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 247 (handwritten), 7th line, Holmes Abraham.; Series M19, Roll 179, Family History Library Film # 0024537, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 April 2019).
29. 1850 US census, Campbell, Searcy County, Arkansas, population schedule, p. 172A (stamped), dwelling 132, family 135, Abram Holms; NARA microfilm publication roll M432_30; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed April 2019).
30. 1860 US census, Pike, Stoddard, Missouri, population schedule, p. 473 (handwritten), dwelling 958, family 899, Abe Holmes; Family History Library Film 803657, NARA microfilm publication roll M653_657; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed April 2019).
31. See #28
32. Perry County, Tennessee, Register of Deeds: Land Surveys, Vol A, Page 87 (image 75/579), "No. 119 Abraham Holmes 25 acr," 20 Dec 1830; digital images, Family Search, film #008320515, (Familysearch.org : viewed 27 March 2019).
33. Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 01 May 2019), memorial page for Mildred J. Holmes Wright (14 Jul 1811–15 Feb 1868), Find A Grave Memorial no. 68658817, citing Boyd Cemetery, Sheridan, Crittenden County, Kentucky, USA ; Maintained by ICD (contributor 47032089) .
34. 1830 US census, Perry County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 247 (handwritten), 11th line, Wright Thos.; Series M19, Roll 179, Family History Library Film # 0024537, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 May 2019).
35. "Kentucky, Death Records, 1852-1965," Death Certificates 1911-1965, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives; Frankfort, Kentucky, film #7017543, certificate number 24626 (stamped) record for Mary Margarett Sullinger, date of death 3 Sept 1929, county of death Livingston, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed May 1 2019).
37. See #33
38. Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 01 May 2019), memorial page for Sylvia "Silva" Lee (1810–20 Apr 1867), Find A Grave Memorial no. 36525432, citing Rawlins Cemetery, Lancaster, Dallas County, Texas, USA ; Maintained by Mary Ann Moore- Million (contributor 47062285) .
39. 1850 US Census, Searcy County, Arkansas, population schedule, Campbell township, page 178A (stamped), dwelling 206, family 211, Sylvia Lee, NARA microfilm publication roll M432_30; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed Nov 2017)
40. See #12
41. See #39
42. See #38
43. See #20
44. 1840 US census, Wayne County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 67A (stamped), 15th line, Absolm Holms; Roll 536, Family History Library Film # 0024550, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 April 2019).
49. 1850 US Census, Searcy County, Arkansas, population schedule, Campbell township, page 172A (stamped), dwelling 131, family 134, George W Holmes, NARA microfilm publication roll M432_30; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed Nov 2017).
50. 1880 US Census, Robertson County, Texas, population schedule, Bremond township, page 40 (handwritten), dwelling 32, family 33, George W Holmes, Family History Film 1255324, Roll 1324; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : Accessed Nov 2017).
51. Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 01 May 2019), memorial page for Mr. George Washington Holmes (1813–1870), Find A Grave Memorial no. 12919518, citing Vance Cemetery, Vance, Real County, Texas, USA ; Maintained by Mark Lindahl (contributor 46808716) .
Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 01 May 2019), memorial page for Mrs. Caroline Harvey Holmes (1819–unknown), Find A Grave Memorial no. 12919517, citing Vance Cemetery, Vance, Real County, Texas, USA ; Maintained by Mark Lindahl (contributor 46808716) .
52. See #5
53. See #6
54. See #20
55. 1830 US census, Perry County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 246 (handwritten), 16th line, Holmes Jas.; Series M19, Roll 179, Family History Library Film # 0024537, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 April 2019).
56. 1850 US Census, Searcy County, Arkansas, population schedule, Campbell township, page 171B (stamped), dwelling 130, family 133, Jacob L Holmes, NARA microfilm publication roll M432_30; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed Nov 2017)
57. See #11
58. See #4
59. See #20
60. See #38
61. See #39
62. See #55
63. See #21
64. See #28
65. See #34
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